Spirit of Peace at NEIU

The Northeastern Illinois University community welcomes people from all over the world to share their cultures and traditions in a peaceful environment. Over the years many peace and spiritual leaders have visited campus, including Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohatma Gandhi, primatologist Jane Goodall, Irish spiritual leader Bean Feasa Margaret Connolly, Khamba lama, Dr. Natsagorj, Spiritual Leader of Mongolia, spiritual leaders Ravi Shankar, Ajit Telang and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev from India, and a group of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Monastery. Native elders and tribal leaders from many nations also have visited and participated in peace events.

The NEIU campus bears many symbols for peace.

	Peace Fire Just north of the Northeastern Illinois University Physical Education Complex stands a tree with a scar on its north side, where a lightning bolt once struck. Below the branches of this tree is where peace fires have been lit on the NEIU campus since 1996. It is a place where people gather to reflect and share about their lives in the company of an accepting community. Fire coals have been shared and given to world leaders such as the Dalai Lama and used in special ceremonies around the world.
	Peace Labyrinth For many thousands of years people of many different faiths and cultures have found clarity, peace and awakening by walking the paths of labyrinths. In the autumn of 2003 a peace labyrinth was installed on campus. The chakra stones used for this labyrinth were carved by students at the Chicago Waldorf School.
	Peace Pole To symbolize the quest for global harmony, a peace pole was installed on the NEIU campus in 2000. This pole bears the message “may peace prevail on earth” in four languages: Aramic, one of the oldest written languages; Esperanto, one of the newest languages, which was created to improve international communication; and Tibetan and Hopi, which are the languages of two cultures that have promoted peace for centuries.
	Crystal In 2006, two feldspar crystals believed to be about 1.8 billion years old were installed on the NEIU campus. These crystals were excavated by NEIU students from the same mountain region in the Black Hills of South Dakota that bears the Crazy Horse monument, which honors the culture, tradition and heritage of Native Americans. The crystals at NEIU were blessed at an installation by Cherokee Elder Momfeather Erickson.

Teachers of Experiential and Adventure Methodology (T.E.A.M.), a volunteer based organization housed in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Athletics, has hosted annual conferences for the last 20 years focused on creating peaceful communities. T.E.A.M.'s dedication to the advancement of peace has resulted in the participation of many world peace leaders in events on campus.

For more information about the peace initiatives at NEIU, contact Dan Creely Jr. or 773.442.5564.